This application is a continuation of application Serial No. 925,942 filed November 3, 1986 now abandoned.
This invention relates to a process for producing retort bean curds and more particularly, to a process for producing retorn bean curds which can be easily released from their mold containers after the bean curds have been solidified therein.
Of late, retort bean curds which can be preserved for a fairly long period of time even at environmental temperatures have been developed. In order to further develop retort bean curds of the type, the inventors have produced retorn bean curds on an experimental basis in which (1) calcium salt represented by calcium sulfate or magnesium salt represented by magnesium chloride is employed as a solidification agent for solidifying soybean milk and (2) the soybean milk containing the solidification agent is simultaneously solidified and sterilized by retort treatment so that retort bean curds having excellent sense of eating and savour can be obtained.
In the experimental production of retort bean curds, the inventors have encountered the problem that the obtained retort bean curds are not easily released from their mold containers and thus, when released from the mold containers, the retort bean curds are get out of shape and present considerably disfigured appearance.
In order to solve the problem, the inventors have applied the technology as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 891,248 in an attempt to obtain retort bean curds which can be easily released from their mold containers. According to the technology of the Japanese patent, surfactants of above HLB-11 (Hydrophile Lipophile Balance) are added to soybean milk. However, although the above-mentioned problem can be solved by the technology of the Japanese patent, it has been now found that for the purpose, the technology presents the new problem that surfactants of above HLB-11 have to be employed in substantial amounts and as a result, the obtained retort bean curds have poor sense of eating and savour.
Thus, after strenous research, the inventors have now found that when polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester of above HLB-14 and cane sugar fatty acid ester of above HLB-11 in specific amounts are added to soybean milk, the above-mentioned new problem can be effectively solved to thereby enable to obtain retort bean curds which can be easily released from mold containers.